Ten Years
by ambiguousfigurine
Summary: The tale of the ten years Will is off on the Flying Dutchman. Jack and Elizabeth venture off for the Fountain of Youth, raise Elizabeth's child, and make new discoveries along the way. Post-AWE, written before OST. Eventual J/E. Please review!
1. Searching

"You really should have stayed on the ship, love." Jack said, stepping on a tree branch so that Elizabeth could easily get over it. Ever since Jack discovered that she was pregnant with Will's child, he had been extremely protective of Elizabeth. His attempts to not to get her caught up in the middle of the action did not always work since her stubbornness was a bit too overbearing at times. However, whenever he was given the opportunity, Jack made sure that every little thing Elizabeth did was as safe and boring as possible.

"Why? So that you could have all of the fun?" Elizabeth replied, lifting up yet another branch. The woods were thick and she was almost positive they were lost. "Are you absolutely sure your compass works?"

"Positive." Jack stated, looking back at Elizabeth and his crew following, all of them tumbling on top of each other. "Blundering idiots," he mumbled as he looked back down at the compass. It was pointed straight ahead thankfully. Ever since Elizabeth started having those dreadful mood swings, his compass had begun pointing in the right direction.

The group came to a clearing in which a brook with dark stones laid on the bottom. As they drew closer, Elizabeth noticed parts of the brook looked abnormal. It was as if there were liquefied diamonds floating down it. "Jack?" she questioned, looking from him to the water. "Do you see this?"

"Hmm?" he said, not looking because he was too distracted by his compass.

She looked over at him and let out a sigh, annoyed that he was too absorbed in his plan to bother with anyone else's ideas.

With a gasp of faked pain, Elizabeth yelled out "Jack!" and gripped her body in a way that she knew would terrify him.

"What?" he yelled, looking up at her quickly. The compass dropped to the ground, and Jack moved straight to Elizabeth. He held his hands out in front of him as if preparing to catch something, but stumbled over a tree root instead. Elizabeth had at first been laughing at Jack for reacting in such an elaborate way, but after seeing the genuine worry in his eyes, she regretted making him worry at all.

Jack caught a glimpse her joking smile and stopped mid-motion. His hands were out in front of him, inches away from Elizabeth. Jack shook his head as if the scare hadn't bothered him. Truthfully, he was more relieved than annoyed at her.

"I should have ya walk the plank one of these days…" he joked quietly in a rough voice as he picked up his compass from the ground. Elizabeth cleared her throat, and Jack suddenly stopped when he realized what she was pointing at. The brook's abnormal appearance startled and excited him.

"Elizabeth, we've got it! Aye, we've got it!" Jack exclaimed, running around and looking from the compass to the water. "Gibbs, alert the crew!"

"Aye aye, sir," Gibbs responded with a confused smile on his face. He had never seen the Captain this excited in a long time.

"This is great, this is great! Elizabeth, you're brilliant!" Jack kept saying, stooping down to the water and touching it with his fingers. He jumped back up, his enthusiasm brimming.

Elizabeth had seen him this happy before on only one other occasion. It was when they were left abandoned on an island together, he was drunk as you could get, and she still despised him for all he was worth. Having a flashback from that night, she grinned and started dancing along with Jack.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me!" they both sang, smiling at one another.

Then the tension came between them. It almost seemed to come whenever they touched, whenever they sang the song that Elizabeth had taught Jack. It was as if an invisible barrier came between them, and they both knew that the barrier was Will Turner.

Even though he was gone and would not be seen for almost another nine years, the large, continuously growing bump on Elizabeth held enough memories for the both of them. He was still out there, and his child was about to be born. What was worse was that the woman who carried his child was unsure if it was worth the love that she and Will shared. Ten years was a long time, and then she would only have one day with him. Elizabeth questioned herself daily if she loved Will enough to wait that long.

Then there was Jack. He was always there caring for Elizabeth as a good friend should. Both Elizabeth and Jack enjoyed each other's company, and even though they had tension between them, he was someone. Ever since she found out that she was pregnant, he had become caring and kind, not like his usual self. Elizabeth knew that Jack would inevitably end up the father figure of her child. Jack being considered the fatherly type was laughable, but from his current behavior, Elizabeth knew he would do the job as well as he knew how.

The attraction that Elizabeth had for Jack was there, subtle and haunting, but she knew that she had to push away any hint of a feeling aside for the sake of both the baby and Will. If Jack didn't feel the same way, or worse, if Will found out and followed the fate of Davy Jones, Elizabeth wouldn't know what to do with herself. She would never wish that for Will. Elizabeth loved him too much, but the idea of waiting for such a long time concerned her. She knew though that she must ultimately stay strong for the sake of her baby.


	2. Life Tastes Bad

"Shouldn't we follow the current?" Elizabeth asked, breaking the silence. "This isn't it, I'm sure. The stories described it much differently."

"Patience, love, patience," Jack said as he turned around and headed in the direction of the river's current.

Elizabeth tried not to roll her eyes as she saw Jack swagger toward the direction she had suggested.

"Why do you always walk that way?" she asked, following close behind.

"In what way do you mean?" Jack questioned, furrowing his brow as the compass moved again. Jack figured he could find it from here, so he put the compass back in his pocket.

"You know exactly what I mean," Elizabeth remarked rudely in a way that should not have matched her tone. She had been sounding incredibly angry and doubtful of Jack lately, and the stress of carrying a child strained their friendship. Elizabeth trusted Jack with her life and the baby's, but in her defense of wanting to handle this without Jack, she found herself speaking to him rudely far too often. "It's like you're drunk at all times of the day."

"I was born drunk, darling," Jack stated confidently as he began to walk normally. "If I remember correctly, you yerself will sometimes do the same thing."

"What?" Elizabeth snapped back. "I do _not_."

"Oh?" Jack said, smiling. "Remember when you and me… me and you… _we,_ walked off the plank of the Black Pearl? Went to a certain island? Got a little drunk on some ol' rum? Remember that, love?" If I remember correctly, you were acting quite funny yourself." Jack smirked at her as he recalled the incident. Although Jack didn't like it when they argued, it was at least something to do. Ever since Elizabeth became pregnant, she always seemed to be looking for an argument with him. Jack couldn't help but give into her.

"As you and I both know, we were as drunk as you can get, and I haven't acted in that way since," Elizabeth replied defensively, her proper tone escaping.

"Yes, you have, my naïve little pirate," Jack joked. "When we were fightin' over Davy Jones's heart, and your Will told you to guard it, you were swaggerin' around like there was no tomorrow!"

"I – I – " Elizabeth stammered. Jack had just touched many sensitive topics in only two sentences. The first one was _pirate_. Despite her not caring to admit it, it was true. Ever since Jack had first called her a pirate, she had started acting differently. When they were in Singapore and she was asked to remove her weapons, the body language quirks of Jack came out in Elizabeth. He was influencing her quite a bit, and she knew it. Elizabeth was proud to be considered a pirate, and Jack knew that.

There was also the heart stabbed by Will and replaced by his own heart. Elizabeth wondered if her heartbreak over him would ever end, but she feared that as long as she had the baby around to remind her of his absence, she would never be able to forget the pain of the distance between them.

Elizabeth's thoughts caught up with her. Her strong-willed nature seemed to be continuously haunted by the fears she had of her future and fate, and her wish to break down and cry had been continuously pushed back by the thought of Jack pointing it out and realizing how weak she really felt.

Jack turned around when she didn't finish her sentence with a rare look of concern on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I take it back. I take it back what I said. Please don't cry. You'll soil that nice dress I stole from the fat wench." He winked, trying to have her forgive him for speaking of things she would rather not think about.

Elizabeth slowly smiled. She knew how hard Jack had been trying to make things work under the circumstances. She wasn't sure why he was trying so hard, but it was much better than him being insensitive after all that had happened in the past few years.

"Now that's the Elizabeth we know an' love," Jack said, poking the tip of her nose playfully. "Watch your step now. It's a bit steep, but I think we'll manage."

It was quite steep, and Elizabeth had difficulty with it, but with Jack and Gibbs' help, she was able to get down safely.

"Ye know, she migh' be more trouble than sh's worth," Gibbs muttered to Jack when they got down.

Jack couldn't hear Gibbs remark to him though, because there, right in front of them, was the beautiful Fountain of Youth. A waterfall gushed down from the hill that they had just come from, and below it was glowing water that seemed to be bluer than the Caribbean Sea. The lagoon was large and lush, and there were bright, tropical flowers surrounding it. No decay could be seen.

Jack took a jar he had attached to his belt and walked towards the water. This jar, actually, was the same one that used to hold his dirt, and for a short period of time, Davy Jones's heart. Jack bent down and filled it up with the sparkling water. The rest of the crew followed his example, each taking their jars or empty rum bottles.

"To the eternal crew!" Gibbs shouted joyfully. Yells of victory were heard from each of them, all drinking it.

Elizabeth hesitated. Did she really want this? Knowing that Will would probably live for almost as long, she felt she did, but what held her back was the idea of living forever with an eternal heartache. She and Will would never be happy, and there was no way to change the circumstances. Their relationship felt like it would never be the same.

Jack saw Elizabeth standing in front of him. He approached her quietly and spoke softly into her ear, saying "You know, Will is going to live forever too. You may as well drink it. If I've been taught correctly about the legend of this fountain, your child will be eternal as well." His voice was deep, soothing, and believable. Elizabeth couldn't deny how much she trusted the words he said to her.

With one final mortal breathe, Elizabeth took the jar offered to her and drank it. Even though the water was beautiful, it tasted bitter. The experience was worse than her first taste of rum.

"That's terrible!" she exclaimed with a spit as she tried to remove the aftertaste from her tongue.

"Aye," he agreed as Elizabeth closed the jar and handed it back to Jack. "Whoever said that life was beautiful seemed to have forgotten to mention what it tasted like."


	3. Labor

As Jack helped Elizabeth climb back up the hill, Elizabeth winced in pain. The pregnancy was getting more difficult to handle as time went on, and living on a ship didn't make it much better.

"Elizabeth?" Jack asked her in an attempt to not sound alarmed. "When are you planning on having this baby of yours?"

"Well," Elizabeth replied, thinking. She was attempting to reach the top of the hill by herself, but most of her weight had begun resting on Jack. Elizabeth's legs moved one in front of the other slowly as she continued to be in pain. Toughing it out, she continued, "Do you remember when we went to go see that midwife?"

Jack nodded. The woman had at first assumed that he was the father. The look in the eyes of that midwife when she thought that Captain Jack Sparrow was planning on raising a child was horrible, and he would rather forget the offense. Jack tended to despise anyone who doubted his ability to do anything, even in the odd circumstance of raising a family.

"Horrible woman," Elizabeth grunted as she paused for a moment to catch her breath. The hill was not at all steep, and she was usually able to handle it, but the pain was beginning to take over. "Well," Elizabeth grunted. "She said that I had about another month." With a roll of her eyes, Elizabeth said, "You didn't want us to leave port because you thought it would be safer."

"I still think it was a good idea," Jack interrupted as he held onto her side so that she didn't have to bend over as much. "What if we don't get back in time for that woman to help you?"

"Don't worry," Elizabeth replied with a sharp breath as they finally reached level ground. She seemed to be continuously attempting to push back the pain. "I think that we still have enough time."

"You think," Jack said doubtfully as they walked on farther at a slow pace. It was silent other than Elizabeth's panting for quite some time, which gradually grew louder and louder. With a loud breath, Elizabeth could no longer handle it yelled out in pain. She almost fell, but Jack's loose grip on Elizabeth instinctively grabbed her tightly, bringing her body up into his arms.

"Just to be clear, you are not faking this time. Correct?"

Elizabeth tried to stand up again but couldn't. "Oh, I'm... fine… really…" she stammered. Her legs were shaking and her teeth were chattering. Jack could see the pain in her eyes and gave her a doubting look.

"Okay, okay, I'm _not _fine," Elizabeth snapped at him.

"Now, that's more like it," Jack replied cheerfully as if they were taking an afternoon stroll. "You have got to be more honest with me, love. One of us has to be." With that, Jack picked Elizabeth up and started to walk in the direction of the ship. To Elizabeth's surprise, he could lift her fairly easy, no doubt the result of working on a ship most of his life. Elizabeth tried not to show the pain with great difficulty, and she continued to wince quietly.

"Don't hold in the screaming if you must, Elizabeth," Jack attempted to reassure her. "I can take it. Just breathe after you do," Jack grunted as he adjusted his hold on her. He was trying to remember everything that midwife had said. His mind was in a panic, but Jack knew that he must remain calm if he was going to keep Elizabeth calm. Once given permission, Elizabeth did not hold back in the slightest. She screamed into Jack's ear directly with every once of energy she had in her..

Jack winced at the noise that had gone directly into his eardrum. "Well, maybe it's advisable that you don't scream quite that loudly," he restated. "Save up your energy, you know. Just, breathe. I suppose."

"What's the problem?" Gibbs said once he caught up to them. The crew had been dragging behind, and Gibbs had been keeping an eye on them.

"What do you think is the problem?" Jack exclaimed. "Elizabeth is screaming like a madwoman into my ear!" Turning back around and walking more quickly towards the ship, Jack muttered, "Now we're going to have a baby born on the Black Pearl with no midwife in sight. Might as well surrender now."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much more relaxed about all this than I was before, Jack," Elizabeth breathed in loudly. "Thank you for that insightful point," she grimaced.

"There is simply no time for sarcasm, love," Jack replied. "We have to get you back to the Pearl."

"How far," Elizabeth gasped, "away is it?"

"Not too far I think," Jack said. "For God's sake, Elizabeth, breathe!"

"You _think_," she said, mimicking him.

"What did I tell you about sarcasm? Okay, I know thatwe're getting closer!"

"How would you _know_?" Elizabeth said as she got more irritable.

"Because I'm walking towards it, which means we are getting closer!" Jack yelled at her. He was beginning to regret the sacrifice he had made by bringing a pregnant woman aboard. Jack wasn't aware that Elizabeth was pregnant at the time she rejoined his crew, but he couldn't simply kick her off on some port and be done with it. He cared about her too much. "Do you want me to drop ya?" Jack threatened in frustration. "I swear I'll do it!"

"No!" Elizabeth said, gripping to him. "Don't you _dare _drop me Jack Sparrow!"

"Captain," Jack replied, challenging her.

"I'm really not in the mood to call you by your title," Elizabeth argued. This was one of the few times she had refused to address him as a captain, and she was angry for not being able to under this one circumstance.

"Well that's just too bad, isn't it, savvy?" Jack stated defiantly as he pretended to drop her.

Elizabeth screamed into his ear from both fear and pain. "What did you do that, for?" she yelled to Jack.

"Sarcasm annoys me more than when you burnt all the rum," Jack replied simply as he began to walk faster.

Elizabeth didn't respond to his remark. She was too busy gasping and breathing over her next contraction.

"Breathe Elizabeth, just breathe," Jack sighed. "We're almost there, see? You can see the sails." He had become suddenly calm in an attempt to make up for all of his yelling. Elizabeth had yet to loosen her grip on his neck.

Jack had been trying incredibly hard to make their situation work, but he was still frustrated that they hadn't made it back to port in time for Elizabeth to have her baby there. The whole situation was incredibly stressing. Nobody in the crew knew much of anything about delivering babies, and Elizabeth was the only remaining woman. The midwife had told Jack of some things if there was an emergency, but his attempts to remember it all were being overpowered by the fears of nothing being enough.

When they got to the Pearl, Jack carried Elizabeth up onto the deck with his crew following close behind. Jack paused in the middle of the deck and turned around to face them, Elizabeth still in his arms.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" he asked them loudly.

"Orders! Orders!" Cotton's parrot squawked.

"Oh," Jack mumbled, thinking. "Uh… man your stations? Don't set sail! Swab the decks if you must. I don't care!" Jack commanded as the crew stared back at him with confused, blank expressions on their faces.

"Elizabeth's havin' her baby," Gibbs explained to them.

"Ah…" they all said with a look of realization on their faces.

As the crewmen began to complete their mindless jobs, Jack gently helped Elizabeth stand up again. She continued to lean against him as he slowly helped her walk to his cabin.


	4. Trust

Elizabeth hadn't been inside the captain's quarters since Barbossa was captain. It was much different from what she remembered. Although the area was a tad cluttered, it was much tidier than she had expected. There was a large desk near the window with a bookshelf only a few feet away. Unfinished maps hung over everything, and a red rug laid on the middle of the floor. From the looks of it, Jack had stolen the rug from Singapore. A few chairs and a table were to the far right side with empty rum bottles scattered around them.

"I'm terribly sorry for the mess," Jack apologized. "No one ever comes in here, so it isn't like I need to-" Elizabeth let out a pained groan. "Okay, okay," Jack panicked. "Come on, let's get you to the bed," he said in an attempt to appear calm. Jack led her through the open double doors to the left.

In this room, a large bed faced the double-doored entrance. A closet was to the left, and a large window looked out to sea on the right. The windowsill held open books that laid scattered over the worn cushions.

Jack laid Elizabeth down gently on the bed which was, to her surprise, rather clean and smelled faintly of him.

"Alright," Jack said, clamping his hands together. "Um… I'll be in the rum cellar," he pointed in the direction he was headed. "Holler if you need something-"

"Jack!" Elizabeth protested. She gave him a pained smile as he turned back around to face her, his hands still pointing in the direction of the rum. "You're going to have to help me with this. You know that, right?"

Jack twitched his upper lip. "Don't you want… someone _else _to help you?" He questioned doubtfully as if already knowing the answer.

"Do you really think I trust anyone else on this ship?" Elizabeth replied gently.

"You-you really trust me, huh?" Jack uncertainly stated. Her trust in him was reassuring his fears, but the idea of bringing a baby into the world caused his voice to stammer. No one had ever trusted him with a responsibility this important before.

"Yes," Elizabeth said firmly, looking straight up into eyes, "I really do."


	5. Bootstrap Bill the Third

The crew stood around the cabin door trying to hear what was happening. They could all hear the sounds of the captain trying to stay calm while Elizabeth yelled at Jack and damned Will.

"How long do these things take?" one of them asked, getting bored.

"Not much longer, I'm sure," Gibbs stated confidently despite not having a clue either.

The noise died down. The crew leaned against the door and pressed their ears to it. Nothing could be heard at first, and then the faint sound of a baby cried through the doors.

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Gibbs said as he smiled at no one in particular. "They're both safe. Now go on!" he ordered, shooing them to the bunks. Looking up at the starry sky, Gibbs just then noticed how late it was. He turned around and almost opened the door, but decided against it and drew back his hand, following the other men.

Inside the cabin, Elizabeth was sitting upright on the bed, holding her son in her arms. Jack was kneeling on the side of the bed, playing with the boy's small fingers.

"He's so small," Jack muttered in amazement.

"I know," Elizabeth said, whose doubts had of being a mother had vanished away at the sight of him. She looked down at the baby quietly.

"I thought that babies were supposed to be bald," Jack said, touching the boy's dirty-blonde hair. "Strange, huh? Well, he's got yer eyes and hair. Got his father's ears though, huh?" Jack said, looking from her to the baby.

"Yes," Elizabeth said, "he does."

"What's his name going to be?" Jack asked despite knowing what the answer would be.

With a slight hesitant voice, Elizabeth said, "William. William Turner."

"Ah, ol' Bootstrap Bill the Third! Welcome to the crew!" Jack exclaimed, shaking William's hand gently.

Elizabeth laughed. "Jack, I don't think that he's ready to be a pirate just yet."

"Well, who says you can't start 'em early?" Jack asked, giving Elizabeth a smirk. "Okay, fine, but as soon as he starts talking, we're teaching him the song. I swear on me mother's grave, his first sentence'll be, 'Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!" Elizabeth laughed at this, and then smiled at him.

"This isn't going to be easy, you know. Having a baby on board is not exactly what a pirate ship needs." Elizabeth looked at Jack. "Are you sure you want us to stay?" she asked directly.

Jack smiled knowingly. "Love, when I first rescued you, when we first met, there was no going back. You get into too much trouble I'm afraid, and when ye don't have me around, who's going to rescue you? Trust me, you'll be safer here. I wouldn't trust leaving you in Tortuga, and Port Royal isn't even an option anymore," he stated, looking out towards the darkened window.

"We could go to Shipwreck Cove," Elizabeth muttered quietly.

Jack looked over at her quickly.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked in search for an honest answer. When she looked down, he looked surprised. "Why?"

"Because…" Elizabeth said hesitantly. "Because I'm afraid…" she paused again.

"What are you afraid of?" Jack asked her.

"That he'll get hurt," she confessed. "Or worse." Elizabeth's fears could be read plainly on her face.

"Elizabeth," Jack said, touching her chin and moving her face up to look up at him. "I'll protect William with my life. I promise."

"Are you sure about this?" Elizabeth asked again. She desperately wanted to stay on the Pearl, but her fears of the baby being harmed and Jack finding them to be a nuisance gave her more second thoughts than she would like.

"Yes," Jack said reassuringly. William had started to suckle on Jack's finger.

"He really likes you," Elizabeth said. She sighed, content now that she knew where she would stay. "You're going to be playing a big role in his life. He's going to look up to you, Jack."

"I'm wondering if I'm ready for that just yet, darling," Jack replied.

"Don't worry," Elizabeth said sleepily. "I'm not sure if I am either," her voice became quieter as thoughts slipped from her mouth. "But we're in this together." With that, Elizabeth slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. William was still in her arms.

Jack looked at her soft face. She appeared so delicate, yet he knew she was much more than that. Elizabeth longed for freedom and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get what she wanted. Jack admired that about her. Even though it had led to his death, it had also led to him coming back. She knew more about him then any other person would ever know: the truth behind his supposedly heroic stories, how vulnerable he could become, and how he could be persuaded. How much she knew scared him at times. He had let her know too much and had even told her straight-out at times. Elizabeth was the only one he could ever trust with what she knew about him.

Jack knew her more than many others had as well. He knew of the things that she was capable of and the ways that he could persuade her. He of course couldn't persuade her as well as she could him, but he still knew her more than Will ever did. Jack couldn't ever feel the same about her since their kiss and his death. That was the moment where he felt too vulnerable and that he would do whatever she wished even if it meant death. She had done what he thought no one would ever be able to do: persuade him.

While he was in Davy Jones Locker, Jack had dreamt of picking her up and throwing her as far away from him as possible only to have her appear right next to him again.

"And then she took my bloody ship away from me," Jack thought to himself as he remembered that godforsaken place.

Yet Jack still wanted Elizabeth to be around. He couldn't seem to let her go. Allowing Elizabeth to leave him didn't seem possible anymore. Jack couldn't imagine it.

With great care, Jack slowly and carefully took the small bundle from Elizabeth's arms and walked over to his desk. Sitting down, he noticed that William was looking up at him intently.

"You know," he whispered in the baby's ear, "I almost wish that you were mine." William responded by gripping the beads on his goatee.

"Ah!" Jack said as he gently placed William's hands back under the cloth that bundled him up. "Okay, maybe I don't wish it all that much." William started playing with the beads again, his tiny fingers gripping around them. Jack smiled.

"Alright _William Turner,_" Jack said to the baby. "I'm going to tell you a story." William gurgled and opened his mouth slightly, looking up at Jack. He continued. "There was once young beauty by the name of Elizabeth Swann. She had just been proposed to by Commodore Norrington. Now, young Miss Swann…" Jack narrated on about the stories that William would one day understand. He told him all about their heroic adventures and many others until both he and the baby were both asleep in the chair together.


	6. The Next Generation of Pirates

Jack awoke with a start.

"Where's William?" he muttered in a panic, jumping off of the chair and hitting his knee on the desk.

"Ow!" Jack yelped aloud, swearing under his breath. There were murmurs coming from the bedroom.

Jack continued to hold his knee as he limped over to the doors that led to his bedroom. Opening one of them, he discovered Ragetti holding the baby, making strange faces and mimicking William's baby noises. Jack looked over at Elizabeth's smiling face and grinned.

"You know," Jack addressed Elizabeth with you smirk. "You do need to warn a man about taking something from him before it causes him to hit his knee."

Elizabeth looked down at Jack's knee and put her hand over her mouth, trying to suppress a giggle. "I'm sorry, did I cause that?" she asked innocently.

"Well, maybe wake me next time before I go into a panic." Jack replied. "How late is it?" he asked.

"Almost lunch, actually." Gibbs said, taking William from Ragetti and handing him back to Elizabeth. "Come on men, let's go. We've bothered them long enough." As they filed out, Jack walked towards the window and looked to the ocean. Elizabeth slowly got up and joined him as she gently burped William. Silence seemed to be the worst noise to ever come between them.

Jack spoke first. "We've got our whole lives in front of us…"

Elizabeth sighed, "Our very _long _lives."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Searching for a way to live forever has taken a long time. Now that I have it-"

"You don't know what to do with it," Elizabeth finished for him.

"Yes, exactly!" Jack exclaimed, sitting down. Putting one leg on the windowsill, Jack looked out to sea. "So," he said, looking up at Elizabeth for suggestions.

"Well," Elizabeth said. "How about we simply start by raising the next generation of pirates and see what other adventures we get swept away in."

Elizabeth handed William to Jack, giving him a knowing look. Jack glanced down at the baby, the same eyes of Elizabeth looking back at him. He gave William a genuine smile. The baby was having a very odd effect on him. Jack looked back up at Elizabeth.

"Perfect."


	7. Walking and Talking

As the year went on, William seemed to grow and understand more of his surroundings every day. He brought great joy to Elizabeth, and she no longer became depressed in front of others as often as she used to.

Everyone noticed a change in Jack as well. He wasn't himself anymore, and a better version of him had appeared that one that no one had ever seen.

Despite all of the changes, Elizabeth still understood Jack. She knew that he was still the same as he was before in a lot of ways. Jack had simply learned to love and live for something other than the sea, and Elizabeth was proud of him for that.

One early morning, Elizabeth was standing on the deck and leaning against the ledge. They had made port in Singapore late the night before, and Jack had sent the crew out to buy supplies. He was playing with William at a short distance from Elizabeth. Jack had taken off his belt and coat with all the weapons attached. William had a fondness for weapons, and Jack didn't want him to get hurt. Despite not even knowing how to walk yet, William was still very adventurous and independent

Jack gently stood William up by taking both of his small hands from behind. As Jack let him get his balance, he looked up at Elizabeth. She was staring into the sunrise with her back turned to him.

"Elizabeth," he spoke. She turned around and gave him a skeptical look, but kneeled down and opened up her arms, smiling at her son.

Jack helped William toddle a few steps while standing over him, still holding onto his hands.

"The kid sure has a strong grip for only being a year old," Jack thought.

Jack slowly let go of William's hands, putting himself protectively behind him in case William fell.

William suddenly gave an alarmed look and reached up, gripped the air, and fell backwards a bit. Jack caught William with his hand to steady him again. In the past he had just picked him up and said maybe next time William would get it, but this time Jack kept him going.

With his mother's loving smiles and Jack's words ("Come on William, ya gotta be able to walk before you can sword fight! Look at mum there, see her? Go on!") ,William took hesitant steps forward until he fell into his mother's hug.

Jack leaned against the deck's edge with his arms crossed and looked at William. He spoke to Elizabeth with a knowing smirk, saying "What did I tell you? He'd be walking in no time! I knew he could do it."

"He still needs to start talking though," Elizabeth said as Jack put his hat and coat back on.

"Never satisfied, are you?" Jack accused as he walked over to William and her. "Alright then," he said, taking William from Elizabeth's arms and setting both himself and the toddler down in the middle of the deck. Elizabeth joined them with a doubting smirk.

Jack pointed at Elizabeth, "Mum."

William gave him a confused look.

Jack let out a groan. "Come on, we've been over this a million times! "_Mum." _He pointed back at William "Mmm…"

William giggled and copied Jack. "Mmm…"

"uuu…" Jack continued.

"aaa…uuu…"

"ummm," Jack ended.

"ummm."

"Mum," Jack repeated.

William simply gurgled and clapped his hands excitedly as he smiled up at Jack.

Elizabeth sighed and took the tricorne hat from Jack's head. She turned William to face her.

"Hat," she said, offering it to him to touch.

William touched the hat curiously then grabbed it from his mother's hands. Placing it on his head, he giggled when it fell over his face. He played with his toes, rocking back and forth.

Elizabeth groaned and placed her hand over her face.

Smiling at this, Jack remarked, "Can't expect him to learn it all in one day, can you?"

"I won't be surprised if his first word is rum." Elizabeth replied sarcastically, giving Jack an accusing look. "Please, let's teach him something valuable."

" 'Um!" William suddenly exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"Well, now he knows his mum, doesn't he?" Jack said, smiling.

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "He just repeated what I said, rum!"

"No, I am positive that it was mum!" Jack argued.

"Rum!" Elizabeth challenged him.

"Mum!" Jack bickered back, lifting his hat off of William and leaning forward. "Mum," he said calmly to William.

"Mm…mum!" the toddler exclaimed as he smiled up at Elizabeth.

Jack smirked and put his hat back on his own head smugly. "Well," Jack remarked as he stood up. "As it turns out, I can at least teach him something… _valuable,_" he said with a smirk as he walked into his cabin and closed the doors behind him.


	8. Visitors

Elizabeth awoke with a start in the middle of the night. T here were muffled noises coming from the deck outside. Elizabeth took the oil lamp beside her and quickly tugged her boots onto her feet, stumbling out into the crisp air.

As she moved her head to look behind her, Elizabeth turned a corner of the ship and bumped into someone quickly. Her scream was muffled by a large and rough hand. She was pulled down unexpectedly, the lamp falling to the ground with a thud.

"Shh!" the man whispered loudly in her ear. "It's me."

"Jack?" she mumbled under his still cupped hand.

"Aye, who else do you think it'd be?" he muttered in a low tone as he let go of her. "Listen, there's someone coming up on a ship. Pirates. They're headed straight for us."

"Why are they coming?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure." Jack replied. "They may or may not be enemies, so you have got to wake up the rest of the crew."

"What about William?" Elizabeth asked in a worried tone.

"Put him in my cabin, he should be safe there."

"What's our plan of action?"

"Find out who they are. Either fight or give them what they need if we're feeling generous enough," he said. "Now go on!"

Elizabeth jumped up and ran to the bunks. She opened the doors wide and yelled, "Alright, get up! Report to stations immediately! There may be a possible fight tonight, so be sure to take all your weapons! Load the cannons!" Elizabeth continued shouting as she began to flip over hammocks where the lazy ones still slept.

Elizabeth was truthfully excited. There hadn't been a good fight in over a year now, not since the battle against Beckett. At that point in her life, Elizabeth had thought that the end had come and they would be the last pirate generation known to exist. Thankfully that battle ended with the legend continuing on, and Elizabeth was itching to get back into the action. She heard of the wars going on between different pirate lords, but neither she nor Jack were apart of them. Most of the other pirates, surprisingly, didn't seem to have much interest in the Fountain of Youth at the moment. Elizabeth at least hoped that was the case.

Elizabeth picked up William and followed the crew out to the deck. The ship she had only seen from a far distance away was now incredibly close, and Elizabeth hugged the back of William's head in response to the sight that laid before her. Seeing Jack looking out at the ship as well with his back turned, Elizabeth took a few steps closer to where he was standing. Both viewed the ship coming closer to them.

"If nothing can beat the Pearl," Elizabeth thought to herself "why hasn't Jack just moved the ship? We would certainly outrun it."

"Jack?" she questioned aloud.

"Elizabeth!" Jack turned, startled. "Put William in my cabin!"

"Bu—"

"That's an order!" he growled. He turned back and put both of his hands against the rail as he glared at the other ship.

"As King, you need to listen to me," Elizabeth commanded as Jack stiffened slightly in response.

"Haven't used that threat in a while," he mumbled, turning around and leaning against the rail. "What is it, your Majesty?" Jack questioned mockingly.

"Why didn't we run?" she asked. "You've always run away from things. What's changed?"

Jack thought about this. It was true that he often ran away from any danger he encountered. Despite being a pirate, most of the situations he found himself in were more easily resolved by making daring escapes rather than winning daring battles.

"Do you miss the action?" Jack inquired.

"Yes," Elizabeth answered firmly, "but I didn't think that you would."

Jack quietly chuckled at this, turning his head to the side. "We're immortal now," he said, taking out his empty gun and moving it against the rail. "I figure, what have we got to lose?"

"I suppose so," Elizabeth said. "But what if they want the Pearl? We can certainly lose that." She whispered, stepping closer to Jack. William had fallen asleep in her arms again.

"It'll be fine," Jack told her, putting his hands on her shoulders. It—"

His reassurance was interrupted by the sound of a heavy anchor being released and descending into the water. A sudden crash of a large plank hit the side of the ship, and a man began to walk over it.

Jack's face drained of color and he furrowed his brow. "Go!" he muttered hurriedly to Elizabeth as he shoved her away from himself and towards his cabin.

"There will be no need for you to leave, Mrs. Turner." The man spoke firmly in a strong English accent as he reached the other side and stepped towards them. The rest of the Black Pearl's crew scattered around the upper deck as they listened intently, their swords itching to be drawn. After having spent so much time without any adventures, the crew didn't seem to care what they were fighting for as long as they were able to fight.

Jack hesitantly strode over to the man and spoke to him questionably. "Who are you?" he asked.

The man was tall and wore a long, old military coat that resembled the tattered mess Jack had seen Norrington wear in past experiences. The man's hair was dark and neatly combed back in a small pony tail, and he seemed to be only a bit older than Jack. His deep ,dark eyes challenged Jack's as they pierced through him.

"Oh, my name is of no importance at this particular moment, although I do know who you are Jack Sparrow," the man said in a casual yet threatening tone.

"_Captain _Jack Sparrow, if you please sir," Jack replied with the same calmness in his voice.

"Yes," the man said in a droning tone. "I know." He paused. "I have learned what you and your crew have found, Captain." The man continued as he quickly drew his sword and pointed it closely under Jack's chin, forcing him to lean his head backwards. "I want it."

Jack slowly lifted his hand and lowered the sword that was threatening his neck.

"Won't do you any good mate," Jack said, shrugging his shoulders smugly. "I can't die."

"Ah, yes," The man responded, raising his eyebrows in a knowing way. Leaning against the end of his sword, he continued. "However, I seem to know more of Fountain of Youth's capabilitiesthan you do," the man noted, drawing his sword in the direction of Jack's chest. "Savvy?" he ended mockingly as the sword moved forward. Jack walked backwards quickly at the threat. The other ship's crew took this as some sort of signal and swung over to the Pearl. The crews began to battle against each other. The loud clangs of metal could be heard everywhere, and Elizabeth clung to William in response. He had began to wail loudly of fright. Elizabeth frantically looked around and grabbed a sword from her belt. She held it out, threatening anyone to come near, but when she turned to see Jack, Elizabeth noticed that he was without any type of sword or weapon on him.

"What an _idiot_," she thought angrily.

"…you can feel touch, correct?" the man asked as he forced Jack against the ship's railing.

"Uh…" Jack said, his thoughts racing as a harsh rip appeared on Jack's shirt. It scraped hard against his skin, and a blood stain could be seen as it spread across his chest. Jack's winced as his knees almost give in. He began to cling to the railing for more support.

"Ah. So I see you _can_." The man said pleasantly, as if he had just found out something wonderful. "Lovely." Again, he ripped Jack's upper sleeve and let him bleed through again, as if he was enjoying a nice game.

Pointing the sword at Jack's neck a second time, he threateningly asked, "Now, where's that infamous jar of yours?"


	9. Update

**A/N: This story has been newly edited and revised after almost four years of being abandoned. There are some grammatical mistakes that I'm already noticing, but I wanted to put this back up on the top so that people could see it. I may actually get back to this story if I get enough time on my hands. **


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